GET FREE SAMPLES

sign up for our newsletter to get free sample alerts
Photo 6/12
Closer by Halle Berry, $28
"I think it is masculine but in a good way. As if you swiped on a men's deodorant that morning." -- Alexis Finc, Associate Editor

"It's a bit musky, like how your skin smells after a lazy afternoon in the park." -- Gonzalez Marra

"It's like you're hugging your boyfriend and catch a slight whiff of his cologne." -- Lee

"It's like you took a swan dive into Monet's Water Lilies painting." --Popp

"It smells like a fresh fruit salad at an outdoor Sunday brunch." -- Gonzalez Marra

"I picture a vase of roses on a tiny table during a romantic candle-lit dinner." -- Kerry Cramer, Online Campaign Manager

"It smells like a rich creamy mix of coconut oil and shea butter lotion." -- Salazar

"I think it is like when you OD on tanning oil at the beach. I can almost picture the waves crashing on the shore." -- Anne-Marie Brumm, Office Manager

"It's just like walking into those candy stores in the mall. So sweet I could get a cavity." Sharon Yi, Associate Editor



Photo 9/12
Reem Acra by Reem Acra, $35
"It smells like when you flip open a September issue. There is a mix of perfume wrapped in that paper scent." -- Popp

"It reminded me of being at an outdoor wedding. The air is a mix of the garden flowers blending with the guests' perfumes." -- Lee

"This smells like a jar filled with black licorice." -- Burton

Photo 10/12
Tom Ford Jonquille De Nuit, $205
"It smells like walking by a bush of blooming jasmine at night time." -- Lee

"This smells like an elegant gardenia you'd put in your hair on a summer night. It's fancy without being stuffy -- and you would only wear it on big nights out along with your LBD and heels." -- Burton

"It smells like discovering a small, enclosed secret garden." -- Popp

Have you noticed that when you read about the new fall 2012 fragrances like, say, Marc Jacobs' "Dot," that words like "playful," "lovely," and "fresh" always pop up in the description? And aren't vague, fluffy, marketing phrases like that completely annoying? What do they tell you about how the fragrance really smells? Nothing. And that's what we want to know.

Look, we get it: writing a fragrance review is hard. Really hard. One woman can smell roses while the next gal gets candy. But honestly, raise your hand if you can summon to mind what "top notes of bergamot" or "a blend of melons" mean or what they smell like?

Luckily, we're always up for a challenge. Last week we conducted an office-wide sniff-test of all the new fall 2012 fragrances. The goal: To choose the top 10 and include real reviews. The kind that go beyond boring catch phrases like "sexy" or "warm" and truly capture the emotion or memory evoked by each scent for each tester.

Skip ahead to see the best fall 2012 fragrances

To find out which fragrance smells like "you took a swan dive into Monet's Water Lilies painting" and a whole host of others, sniff out this guide of the best fall 2012 fragrances.
BY CINYA BURTON | SHARES
VIEW COMMENTS
Full Site | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy
TotalBeauty is a property of Evolve Media Holdings, LLC. © 2024 All Rights Reserved. | Affiliate Disclosure: Evolve Media Holdings, LLC, and its owned and operated subsidiaries may receive a small commission from the proceeds of any product(s) sold through affiliate and direct partner links.